Seal for containers



E. A. ALFARO SEAL FOR CONTAINERS March 31, 1970 Filed Sept. 5. 1968 INVENTOR ENRIQUE AMAT ALFARO WMJAT'B ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,503,643 SEAL FOR CONTAINERS Enrique Amat Alfaro, 7 lfni St., San Adrian del Besos, Barcelona, Spain Filed Sept. 3, 1968, Ser. No. 756,975 Claims priority, application Spain, Sept. 20, 1967,

Int. Cl. Bissd 45/32 U.S. Cl. 292258 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a seal for containers and refers more particularly to means effectively and hermetically sealing the openings of various containers.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a seal which can be easily applied to cover the openings of containers and which will provide a most effective and lasting hermetic seal.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent in the course of the following specification.

In the accomplishment of the objectives of the present invention it was found desirable to provide a flexib e cap which is adapted to cover the opening of a container having an annular ridge. The cap has an annular rim extending beyond the ridge and provided with uniformly spaced elongated circumferentially extending slots. The cap is held upon the container by several closure members the number of which is equal to that of the slots. The closure members are made of flexible molded plastic material. Each closure member has a. bottom portion and two parallel pieces constituting a continuation of the bottom portion. One of these pieces used as the outer piece has the shape of a T, the tab or leg of which extends through a slot, while the head which is preferably semicircular in shape extends above that slot and engages the edges thereof. The inner piece has a top edge pressing against the bottom surface of the ridge. The bottom portions of the closure members have recesses engaged by a wire extending around the container.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, showing, by way of example only, a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is partly a side view of, and partly a vertical section through, the top of a container provided with a seal made in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 shows a portion of the section of FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale.

FIGURE 3 is a front View of a closure member.

FIGURE 4 is a top view of a cap closing the container.

FIGURE 5 is a side view of the closure member.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show the top of a container having an opening which is to be sealed and which is surrounded by the usual annular ridge 9.

The opening is closed by a cap 2 having a round rim 1 extending beyond the ridge 9. If desired, a round gasket 3 consisting of very flexible sealing material is placed between the ridge 9 and the cap 2. The rim 1 is provided with elongated slots 4 which are preferably uniformly spaced and extend circumferentially upon the rim.

The cap 2 is held sealingly firm upon the container 10 by a plurality of closure members 5 the number of which is equal to that of the slots. The closure members 5 are made of flexible molded plastic, they are substantially fiat and of elongated shape. The bottom portion of each closure member is provided with a transverse groove 12. The top portion consists of two pieces 6 and 8 the lower ends of which are integral with the bottom portion and which lie against each other when the closure member is not used. The piece 6 has the shape of a T, with a vertically extending leg or tab which terminates in a head 7. The head 7 is semicircular in shape and is considerably wider than the tab. The piece 8 has the same width as the bottom portion throughout most of its length but terminates in the curved tongue.

In use, the flexible heads 7 are pulled through the slots 4 until the tabs extend through the slots while the heads 7 are located above and over the slots. The tongues of the inner pieces 8 press against the lower edge of the ridge 9 of the container. Thus the cap 2 will press the closure members 5 against the container, so that they will act as lever arms, the heads 7 pulling the rim 1, so that the rim will be partially deformed so long as the pressure lasts.

It is apparent that as the result of this pressure of flexible closure members, a most effective seal is provided.

The seal can be further strengthened by the use of a wire 11 which fits into grooves 12 of the closure members 5 and is tied around the container 10, thereby serving as an additional seal.

It is apparent that the example described above has been given solely by way of illustration and not by way of limitation and that it is capable of many variations and modifications within the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A seal for a container opening enclosed by an annular ridge, said seal comprising in combination with a cap fitting over the opening and having an annular rim adapted to extend beyond said ridge, said rim having a plurality of slots extending longitudinally around the cap; a plurality of closure members, each closure member having a tab extending through a separate slot, a head integral with said tab and extending above the s ot, a tongue pressing against the bottom edge of said ridge, and a bottom portion interconnecting said tab and said tongue.

2. A seal in accordance with claim 1, wherein said head is of semicircular shape.

3. A seal in accordance with claim 1, wherein said closure members have uniformly located transverse grooves, said seal further having a wire extending around said container and located in said grooves.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,815,970 7/1931 Eggerss 2295.7

FOREIGN PATENTS 984,593 2/ 1965 Great Britain.

RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner EDWARD J. MCCARTHY, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

